FORMER CEO OF TESCO BANK TALKS ARTS AND BUSINESS IN DUBAI

Professor Benny Higgins, who spent a decade as chief executive of Tesco Bank and serves as a Chairman of the National Galleries of Scotland, will speak during a special event hosted by Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University in Dubai.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE/Knowledge Bylanes) — Professor Higgins, an arts-loving banker will argue that business leaders are well served by engaging with the arts, during an event at Roda Al Murooj on Tuesday, 29 January.

Guests from the world of business and the arts, as well as the University’s MBA students, alumni and staff have been invited to hear from Professor Higgins, who was appointed an Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University last year.

Professor Higgins will explore the principles of business and art and explain why he believes aspiring leaders should place great value on both.

Professor Higgins, said:

“I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to address the business and arts community in Dubai. To express my very personal views on how business leaders benefit from having a ‘hinterland’ is a precious moment for me.”

“We are delighted that Professor Higgins accepted our invitation to deliver his talk in Dubai. We are keen to open the event to the wider audience, and have made a limited number of spaces available to people new to our University to attend.

“Benny has led major organisations in financial services and retail, as well as a range of entrepreneurial interests and his knowledge is invaluable to our students and I’m sure this will be a very interesting event for the wider audience too.

“Under Benny’s leadership, Tesco Bank grew to become one of the most established ‘new’ banks in the UK, serving more than 8 million customers and employing over 4,000 people. This was a huge achievement for Benny and his team and we are very grateful for his insight and willingness to share his experience.”

Benny Higgins has been a prominent international business leader for over thirty years, leading businesses in financial services and retail.

Benny began his career at Standard Life in 1983 where he joined as an actuarial student and became a member of the Standard Life Group Executive in 1996. In 1997, he moved to RBS to become Chief Executive of Retail Banking. He was with RBS until 2005, during which time he led the successful integration of Nat West Retail Banking – one of the largest mergers ever undertaken in UK banking. He became Chief Executive Officer of HBOS plc in 2006 before joining Tesco Bank as Chief Executive in 2008.

Under Benny’s leadership, Tesco Bank grew to become one of the most established ‘new’ banks in the UK, serving more than 8 million customers and employing over 4,000 people in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Newcastle. With the launch of the Tesco Bank current account in June 2014, the Bank became a full range of core retail banking and insurance products. In addition to his role at Tesco Bank, Benny was also the Group Strategy Director for Tesco PLC and was a member of the Tesco Executive Committee. Benny retired from Tesco in February 2018.

In September 2017, Benny was asked by the Scottish Government to lead a project team to establish the creation of a Scottish National Investment Bank with all of its recommendations accepted by the Scottish Government in May 2016. In June 2018, Benny was announced as the strategic adviser of the Scottish National Investment Bank, leading its formation.

In addition, Benny is Executive Chairman of the Australian-listed regulatory technology business, Kyckr. In this role, Benny is leading Kyckr’s strategic expansion in Europe and the United States.

Outside of financial services, Benny is Chairman of the National Galleries of Scotland, a Non-Executive Director of Glasgow Life, Trustee for The MDS Estates Limited and a Prince’s Trust Ambassador.

Benny holds a First Class Honours degree in Mathematics from the University of Glasgow where he was also awarded a University Blue and became a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries in 1986 after qualifying in a then-record 2.5 years. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and an Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University.